Have you eaten dinner at the Lido?

[GlendaleCruiser]

My son liked to eat in the Lido sometimes and skip the MDR. He's grown with his own kids now and saving for cruises.

 

One night there was nothing really good on the menu and I ate something that was just so-so, but I was really craving steak. Imagine my chagrin to find that he had a New York cut steak, salad and baked potato on the Lido. By then I was too full.:(

[tea4ular]

Starting not to sound like such a bad option. Are there still long lines at dinnertime?

 

No, there are hardly any lines, except the stir fry, but that's due to it being cooked fresh, to order. AND...you CAN get warm melting cake at the Lido too!

[MpwdMom]

The one night we ate on Lido it was good! And then we saw a guy sit down with multiple servings of WMCC, all for himself, and I thought, well, this is a faster way...

[Nanaimobound]

This wasn't on Carnival, but on our last cruise just a couple of weeks ago, we never ate in the MDR at all.

We had the specialty restaurants the first two nights, then ate at the buffet the rest of the time. It was so much fun! We never had to get dressed up, and we and a few others had the pool deck to ourselves every evening while everyone rushed off to get ready for dinner each night. Very relaxing time, and I never felt once that i wasn't getting my money's worth.

Our next cruise will be a large family group, so we will be back in the dining room, but it was just him and I on this last one for the very first time, and I wouldn't change a thing!

[poobears]

DH and I have only eaten in the dining room for dinner and we eat there for most breakfast and lunch meals too when available. This time we are doing things different. We packed for elegant night in the dining room and that was it. All other nights we'll be at the lido. I sat down and started thinking about how much time we spend out of every evening getting ready for dinner (we always dress up fairly nice to attend the MDR) so shower, makeup, hair drying and styling, sitting there during the dinner, going back and changing after dinner (don't like to hit the casino in a dress) etc, that's a lot of time devoted to just one meal.

 

This year we'll do Lido and see how a more casual approach works for us. We may be back to MDR only next time or we not. I'll let you know how it goes next weekend when we sail. We did manage to get both of our clothing in one suitcase with room to spare without packing all of the khakis, dress shirts, dresses, skirts etc. Resort casual/nice tops and shorts or capris take up a lot less room.

[michiganirish]

we've had dinner on the lido several times - we like the mdr - and always plan on going to dinner there - but things happen and we end up down there. the atmosphere is different - it seems calmer to us and we love eating outside - so it's always good - however not real fond of eating breakfast or lunch in mdr - too much commotion and we like the variety of the lido for those meals.

[soozles]

No, there are hardly any lines, except the stir fry, but that's due to it being cooked fresh, to order. AND...you CAN get warm melting cake at the Lido too!

 

OK, I have to ask, where is the warm chocolate melting cake? Who do you ask for it? Because obviously, it's not out in the regular dessert stand. That was the one thing I missed eating on the Lido, because I'm generally not a fan of Lido desserts, I find it's usually not worth the calories.

[dan40]

We eat dinner in the MDR every night, but that's just our preference. We do not care to eat hot dogs/hamburgers/french fries, etc., items like that for dinner. We're on a cruise and we paid good money for some good food!

 

We do eat breakfast and lunch sometimes on the lido and it's perfectly fine. We had some friends on our last cruise with us who ate at the lido buffet one night, but they were right back in the MDR with us the next night and the rest of the week.

 

So, it's really just up to each person and what they want for dinner.

 

Happy Cruising!!

 

We will have one dinner in the buffet every cruise. Not only have I never had a hot dog or hamburger for dinner in the buffet, I've never even seen a hot dog or burger being served in the buffet. They serve the dogs and burgers out by the pool in the grill. Not in the buffet area.

We have often found steaks cooked to order in the buffet. And a good selection of other dishes.

[MsTabbyKats]

Shhhhhhhhhhh........

 

Let's not spread the word about how good the lido is for dinner...or we'll end up with lines and a crowd. :)

[stingraycityslicker]

Shhhhhhhhhhh........

 

Let's not spread the word about how good the lido is for dinner...or we'll end up with lines and a crowd. :)

 

Haha...then service might actually speed up in the MDR. ;)

[stingraycityslicker]

Another question - I haven't really gone to the Lido grills on either of the Carnivals I've been on (Freedom and Liberty), but to they serve grilled chicken? Or just burgers, fries, and hotdogs?

[JRock59]

Another question - I haven't really gone to the Lido grills on either of the Carnivals I've been on (Freedom and Liberty), but to they serve grilled chicken? Or just burgers, fries, and hotdogs?

 

 

YES at the grill that does the burgers you can ask for chicken it's pretty good. I like to make up a big salad and than go ask for just the chicken with no roll. It's never been a problem on any ship we've sailed. :)

[stingraycityslicker]

YES at the grill that does the burgers you can ask for chicken it's pretty good. I like to make up a big salad and than go ask for just the chicken with no roll. It's never been a problem on any ship we've sailed. :)

 

Thanks! :) That's great to know.

[tea4ular]

OK, I have to ask, where is the warm chocolate melting cake? Who do you ask for it? Because obviously, it's not out in the regular dessert stand. That was the one thing I missed eating on the Lido, because I'm generally not a fan of Lido desserts, I find it's usually not worth the calories.

 

It will be found near the hot food, not with the other desserts. If you don't see it, ask someone working behind the counter, and they almost always know where it is. Last time, it was next to a station with a guy that was freshly carving meat.

[katiel53]

We had dinner in the Lido only once in all our cruises. I think I had expected it to be like the Lido dinner on Royal Caribbean. (We haven't done Lido on RCI, but did read about it.) I thought they would have table cloths and be a little more elegant than just dining in the regular buffet.

 

I think that started me off being disappointed. Also, I have a problem going to buffets in that I eat way more than I do at a sit down dinner, so I don't like to go to buffets. I also felt that the area was just a cold, sterile area at night. There were only a few people there and all I could think of was eating in a college cafeteria.

 

I know this is just me, but I probably wouldn't eat in the Lido again for dinner. I thought the food was fine, but, once again, I ate too much. No willpower, lol.

[halos]

Has anyone eaten dinner in the Lido restaurant as opposed to the main dining room? ?

hell no

[SMSACE6]

I also much prefer the MDR for the evening meal, but I have had dinner at the Lido buffet three times in all my cruises. There are sometimes reasons, ie' once got into San Juan at 7.30pm kind of late for my liking to get off the ship, so I ate at the buffet. Another time, getting back from port too late for the early seating, and once because we missed our early seating because we fell asleep in the afternoon and didnt wake up in time.

 

Choices at the Lido buffet for dinner are a bit better than lunch I think, and while I prefer the MDR, when situations arise, I can make do with the offerings at the buffet. Some items from the MDR menu can be had at the buffet as well.:)

[stingraycityslicker]

I never seem to run out of questions lol. Now I have a new one. Have any of you been on Carnival Dream? How would you rate her Lido in general (for all meals)?

[steelerfan27]

Has anyone eaten dinner in the Lido restaurant as opposed to the main dining room? I'm going on Carnival Dream this August and I'm considering this as an occasional option. How does the Lido's evening food rate compared to the main dining room?

 

No. I prefer the main dining room. I'm not much for buffets. I like having the nice waiters serving me. And I love the singing and dancing and the festive atmosphere of the dining room. It's such fun! I almost used a different word for festive, one that started with a "g" but my granddaughter who is standing over my shoulder said don't say that Grandma or you'll get flamed. I have no idea what being flamed means but I don't think I want to find out.

[stingraycityslicker]

No. I prefer the main dining room. I'm not much for buffets. I like having the nice waiters serving me. And I love the singing and dancing and the festive atmosphere of the dining room. It's such fun! I almost used a different word for festive, one that started with a "g" but my granddaughter who is standing over my shoulder said don't say that Grandma or you'll get flamed. I have no idea what being flamed means but I don't think I want to find out.

 

Don't worry about it; I got flamed just for the way I worded my question. :p It's what CC member do best other than cruise.

 

I agree with you on the personal service you recieve from the dining room staff. We're trying Anytime Dining this time around, so I think I'm going to really miss that.

[steelerfan27]

Don't worry about it; I got flamed just for the way I worded my question. :p It's what CC member do best other than cruise.

 

I agree with you on the personal service you recieve from the dining room staff. We're trying Anytime Dining this time around, so I think I'm going to really miss that.

 

What is a CC member? Carnival Cruise member?

[stingraycityslicker]

What is a CC member? Carnival Cruise member?

 

Sorry, "CC" means "Cruise Critic." Should have written it out but laziness got the best of me. :D

[imnance]

First cruise, every dinner in the MDR. Really, it was sort of a pain. Each cruise after that, more dinners at the Lido until our last cruise was strictly Lido.

 

As an FYI....my DH, the steak/beef snob, pronounced some beef he had at the buffet (not prime rib, just a roast of some sort) the best beef ever!:)

[steelerfan27]

Sorry, "CC" means "Cruise Critic." Should have written it out but laziness got the best of me. :D

 

Thank you. I'm learning the lingo!

[Pee-ah]

WOW! the only time I ate in the Lido was when the MDR was closed:) (breakie and lunch included) I like to get the biggest bang for my buck:D